THE TOUGH TALK

Parents talking to their children about sex is never easy in any culture. However, in Africa it is taboo. A child is supposed to learn about sex from a third party. In some tribes this is a relative, like an aunt or uncle. In Zambia it is a function of a member of the community, either a Bana Chimbusa for a girl or a Bashi bukombe for a boy. Still other tribes do this at puberty in initiation ceremonies. Whenever and how ever it happens, it always seems to be wrapped in figurative and vague speech.

This family totally breaks with tradition on the topic. The parents believe it is too important to leave for their children to figure out and perhaps get wrong information. They have been talking to their children about sex for a long time, at age appropriate levels. Although this is not the norm for African societies, I do know some families that are doing this. I hope more parents learn how to speak to their children about sex.